KVM switch and method for controlling the same

• US 8,386,673 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Hayama, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, CHUN KUAN
• Application Number:
  US12/230,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/24 Keyboard-Video-Mouse [KVM] switch

Abstract

A KVM switch connected between a plurality of consoles including a plurality of monitors, and a plurality of information processing apparatuses, comprises a setting portion that sets a part or all of the plurality of consoles to each information processing apparatus as one group, wherein the plurality of monitors included in the plurality of consoles which are set as one group by the setting portion display information from an information processing apparatus corresponding to the group.

Claims

1. A KVM switch connected between a plurality of consoles including a plurality of monitors, and a plurality of information processing apparatuses, comprising:

data for displaying a group setting screen; and

a setting portion that sets at least two of the plurality of consoles to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses as one group, a number of the at least two of the plurality of consoles to be set as the one group being identical with a value equal to or more than two inputted into the group setting screen, and the at least two of the plurality of consoles being sequentially allocated in accordance with the number to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein the plurality of monitors included in the plurality of consoles which are set as the one group by the setting portion displays information from one of the information processing apparatuses corresponding to the one group.

2. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a deciding portion that decides an information processing apparatus outputting information displayed on the plurality of monitors, and a switching portion that switches an information processing apparatus corresponding to a current group to the information processing apparatus decided by the deciding portion.

3. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communicating portion capable of communicating with an external terminal, wherein the setting of the one group by the setting portion is executable from the external terminal via the communicating portion.

4. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting portion includes an operating element installed in a housing of the KVM switch.

5. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a nonvolatile memory that stores information relating to the plurality of consoles which are set as the one group by the setting portion.

6. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of COM ports or USB ports that connects peripheral devices thereto, wherein the setting portion switches the plurality of COM ports or USB ports.

7. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controlling portion that, when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs in to the KVM switch, causes the other consoles of the same one group to log in to the KVM switch.

8. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs off from the KVM switch, the controlling portion causes the other consoles of the same one group to log off from the KVM switch.

9. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controlling portion that, when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs off from the KVM switch, causes the other consoles of the same one group to log off from the KVM switch.

10. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a controlling portion that, when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs in to the KVM switch, causes the other consoles of the same one group to log in to the KVM switch.

11. A method for controlling a KVM switch connected between a plurality of consoles including a plurality of monitors, and a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the KVM switch including data for displaying a group setting screen, comprising:

a displaying step that displays a group setting screen; and

a setting step that sets at least two of the plurality of consoles to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses as one group, a number of the at least two of the plurality of consoles to be set as the one group being identical with a value equal to or more than two inputted into the group setting screen, and the at least two of the plurality of consoles being sequentially allocated in accordance with the number to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein the plurality of monitors included in the plurality of consoles which are set as the one group in the setting step displays information from anone of the information processing apparatuses corresponding to the one group.

12. The method for controlling the KVM switch as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a deciding step that decides an information processing apparatus outputting information displayed on the plurality of monitors, and a switching step that switches an information processing apparatus corresponding to a current group to the information processing apparatus decided in the deciding step.

13. The method for controlling the KVM switch as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a communicating step capable of communicating with an external terminal, wherein the setting of the one group in the setting step is executable from the external terminal via the communicating step.

14. The method for controlling the KVM switch as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a controlling step that, when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs in to the KVM switch, causes the other consoles of the same one group to log in to the KVM switch.

15. The method for controlling the KVM switch as claimed in claim 14, wherein when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs off from the KVM switch, the controlling step causes the other consoles of the same one group to log off from the KVM switch.

16. The method for controlling the KVM switch as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a controlling step that, when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs off from the KVM switch, causes the other consoles of the same one group to log off from the KVM switch.

17. The method for controlling the KVM switch as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a controlling step that, when any one of the plurality of consoles set as the one group logs in to the KVM switch, causes the other consoles of the same one group to log in to the KVM switch.